Airline’s Maddie Ennis is one of those kids you don’t want to see stepping to the plate in a critical situation – at least not if you’re her opponent.

The junior first baseman for the District 1-5A champions is clutch with a bat and has a propensity for going yard. She’s one of the main reasons the Lady Vikings (24-4) have a shot of advancing to the LHSAA Class 5A state semifinals if they can get past Sam Houston (27-3) at 5 p.m. Friday at Sulphur’s Frasch Park.

Ennis is one of the area leaders in home runs with 8 and she’s batting at a .505 clip with a team-leading 41 RBIs for coach Reggie Digilormo. On Thursday evening, she was sitting at the Evangel-Archbishop Chapelle game at Frasch, adjusting to the atmosphere in an arena that can be daunting.

“It’s our first time here and we’re super excited, but a little nervous,” Ennis admitted. “We know we have a tough game Friday, but if Raelin (Chaffin) throws her game, we’ll get the runs for her.”

A UT-Tyler softball commit, Ennis said the opportunity to play for a state title is something the team has been preparing for all season.

“We’ve actually been trying to get here for three years now,” she said. “Just a couple more games and we’re there.”

Ennis has modeled some of her batting attitude this spring from a new arrival in the Ennis household – an English bulldog named Emma has joined a Cavalier Charles named Charlie.

“Emma goes full speed all the time. She is crazy,” said Ennis of the 18-month-old pup she walks regularly in Brownlee Park.

Since she plays travel softball for Gerral Layton’s Titans, Ennis has been a fixture on softball fields around the region for a number of years. She doesn’t have many worries when it comes to hitting, but she was worried Thursday afternoon.

“I’m real superstitious about my ribbons and my ponytail is about to come out,” she said. “If it comes out, it’ll have to be put back together real quick.”

That job will fall to leadoff batter Makenzie Chaffin, an apparent expert at re-ponytailing.
Ennis wears a Columbia blue and a purple ribbon in her hair. The purple one, worn by all of the Lady Vikings, is in honor of teammate Kourtnee White’s grandfather, who is suffering with cancer.

The Lady Vikings took a charter bus to Sulphur Thursday, stopping in Leesville to eat at Chili’s. After a practice and watching a few games at Frasch, they planned to have supper at Saltgrass Steak House in Lake Charles.